Four people left injured after drones fall near Dubai airport
Drones near Dubai airport have injured four people as the Iran conflict enters its 12th day.
One of the world’s busiest airports has been caught up in the fighting in the Middle East crisis after several strikes in its area since the start of the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel coalition.
Dubai authorities confirmed this morning that two drones were spotted near the airport.
Four people were injured – two Ghanaian nationals, one Bangladeshi national and one Indian citizen.
The officials said on X: ‘Authorities confirm that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) a short while ago, resulting in minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national.
‘Air traffic is operating as normal.’
The UAE Ministry of Defence said in a statement: ‘UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.
‘MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones.
‘The public are requested to adhere to the safety and security instructions issued.’
On Saturday, all flights in and out of Dubai were grounded after Iran launched more missiles in retaliation for the attacks by the US and Israel.
Footage showed a drone appearing to strike near one of the airport buildings. There were no reports of injuries.
Dubai International Airport usually records around 95 million passengers annually. In comparison, Heathrow, the UK’s biggest airport, handles around 84 million passengers annually.
British Airways is the latest airline to cancel flights to and from the region.
It said all flights to Amman, Jordan, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv have been suspended until later this month, while flights to and from Abu Dhabi are halted until later this year.
The Emirati army reportedly intercepted 26 drones yesterday alone, nine of which fell inside its territory.
One of the drone attacks caused a fire at Abu Dhabi’s Ruwais Industrial Complex, which is home to the kingdom’s largest oil refinery.
Meanwhile, Oman’s military reportedly shot down a drone and another plunged into the sea off the port town of Duqm today. The incident didn’t cause any injuries or damage.
Oman’s Muscat airport has become one of the key locations for British and European repatriation flights.
Oil has become the focal point of the war after tankers have been unable to go through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf after some ships were targeted.
Iran has reportedly laid mines in the Strait, with some dozen placed along the 24-mile passage, according to sources.
The US president Donald Trump warned on Truth Social yesterday that ‘if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!’
The near-closure of the Strait has affected fuel prices worldwide and led G7 leaders to negotiate the release of part of the emergency reserves.
Explosions were also reported in Bahrain’s capital Manama, with sirens activated and people told to seek shelter.
The death toll from the conflict is mounting after back-and-forth airstrikes in the region, including at a girls’ school in Minab, which the US is accused of. Iranian authorities have said the strike killed 175 people.
Over 1,800 people have died in Iran and in neighbouring countries since the conflict flared up.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.